Christmas Delights
by Penguin
Summary: At least the Christmas lights were up and made everything a little cheerier. Not that Hiroki was ever cheery, exactly, but... A piece of Egoist Christmas fluff.


**Disclaimer: **These characters belong to Shungiku Nakamura. I only play with them. I'm not making any money out of this, and no copyright infringement is intended.

CHRISTMAS DELIGHTS 

It was the week before Christmas and the weather couldn't seem to make up its mind. For the past couple of days, it had been alternately raining and snowing, but at least the Christmas lights were up and made everything a little cheerier.

Not that Hiroki was ever cheery, exactly, but he didn't like things to be gloomy, either. Nowaki, on the other hand, loved Christmas like he loved a lot of other things – boundlessly, happily, easily. _Like he loves me_, Hiroki supposed, and actually had to smile a little at that.

Glancing at Nowaki walking by his side, he decided winter wasn't so bad after all, even if you did get snow in your eyes and your shoes were soaked. Nowaki looked truly gorgeous in his dark winter coat with shining eyes above the wool scarf as he watched excited kids and garish shop displays.

Not for the first time, Hiroki wished he could do things with the same ease. Nowaki met everything – people, situations, weather – with a relaxed, open friendliness that was completely alien to Hiroki, who made everything difficult.

Nowaki suddenly slowed down with a furrow between his eyebrows.

"There's Usami-san," he said tensely.

Apparently there were people who could throw even Nowaki off balance. And Hiroki couldn't help it – whenever he heard that name it gave him a jolt.

"Where?"

"Coming out of that shop over there."

It was indeed Akihiko, tall and well dressed, with a boy in tow – very young and currently very pink-faced, as if Akihiko had just said something truly indecent. Knowing him, he probably had. He was grinning down at the boy with a wicked gleam in his eyes.

_So this is what happiness looks like on Akihiko._ It struck Hiroki as sad that he had never actually seen Akihiko happy before. He had not been a happy child, and in their teens he had fallen head over heels in unrequited love with Takahiro and been miserable for years. Hiroki had long since stopped loving Akihiko, but he still felt a twinge at seeing him like this, happy with someone who wasn't Hiroki. Which was ridiculous, he told himself, because he had Nowaki.

Akihiko had spotted them now and was coming up to them, the boy trotting along one step behind.

"Hiroki," Akihiko said. "Happy Christmas. Good to see you."

Hiroki gave him half a smile. "And you." He frowned at the boy, who was still pink in the face and looked like he wanted to hide behind Akihiko's back. He looked familiar. "You don't happen to be one of my students, do you?"

The boy gulped and nodded, his eyes darting around to find an escape route. Hiroki glanced around at Nowaki, who had nodded politely at Akihiko and then seemed to pretend he was alone on the slushy sidewalk, staring into space while snowflakes settled like small, frail stars in his hair.

"Really, Akihiko," Hiroki said, and meant _what are you doing dating a kid?_, but Akihiko just smiled at him, unashamed.

"We've got to go," he said and touched the boy's shoulder. "Say hello to your mother for me, Hiroki."

"I will."

When they had left, Hiroki turned to Nowaki who refused to meet his eyes, huddled against the cold and gazing into the distance. Hiroki's heart was melting right there in the snow and he wanted to tell Nowaki there was no need to be jealous, but he didn't know how to. Instead he pulled off a glove and pushed his hand into Nowaki's coat pocket to squeeze his warm fingers. He didn't care if people saw. To hell with them all.

Nowaki turned his head then and met Hiroki's eyes, and Hiroki felt it all the way to his toes.

"When we get home…" Nowaki breathed and let the sentence hang.

"Yes?"

He leaned down to mumble in Hiroki's ear, close enough to send a series of hot little shivers down Hiroki's back: "When we get home, I'm going to fuck you against the wall."

Hiroki's breath hitched in his throat. _That whimper didn't come from me_, he thought faintly. _It really didn't._

The corners of Nowaki's mouth were turning up. "Was that a yes?"

His breath was warm and Hiroki had goosebumps all over. "Nnnngh…"

"Oh, that's _definitely_ a yes. Against the wall, then, with your legs wrapped around my hips… and then, when we've recovered enough, I'm going to bend you over the dining table."

Hiroki snatched his hand from Nowaki's coat pocket and pulled the glove back on. "Don't say things like that!" he hissed. His face was on fire and it was all Nowaki's fault. "Don't _say_ them – just... just _do_ them."

Nowaki had definitely won this round, and his smile had turned triumphant. "Let's go home then."

Hiroki could only nod.

Around them the city was ablaze with Christmas lights and every street light had a glittering halo of falling snow, but they saw nothing but each other, nearly stumbling in their hurry to get home.


End file.
